This disclosure relates to content delivery networks, such as content delivery networks that deliver streaming videos.
Some content delivery networks include a master server and several slave servers. Each slave server receives requests from a group of user stations for video streams. After receiving each request, each slave server delivers its own request for the streaming video to the master server. In turn, the master server delivers the requested streaming video to the slave server which, in turn, delivers it to the requesting user station.
This content delivery network architecture can present challenges as the number of user stations grow. Each slave server may be limited in the number of user stations that it can simultaneously service. As a result, additional slave servers may need to be added as the number of user stations grows.
The master server may also be limited in the number of slave servers that it can simultaneously service. As a consequence, this architecture can quickly grow to a size that can no longer be adequately supported by the master server. In turn, this can restrict the number of user stations that can be added to the system. It can also result in poor performance, causing undesirable disruptions during delivery of the video streams.